So, at the rip old age of 25 I decided to open up a Facebook page and set up my own handmade business. Little old me thought it would be easy, that was until I realised all the legal requirements that were NEEDED!
Are you thinking of joining the crafting world? Well i’m here to share my own experiences with you, which includes my mistakes, one of which was only this month!
Did you know you need declare to HMRC that you are selling products? Yep even as a hobby, the good thing is you don’t pay tax until you earning up to £11,000. You will also be classed as a sole trader, you will run your business as an individual and are self-employed. You are able to take on staff if needed to- Being a sole trader means you are responsible for the business, not that you work alone.
Did you know you need insurance? Product and public liability is a MUST. This covers you and your business if your product harms a customer. I would recommend direct line, it’s around £5 per month, and also includes any craft fairs you attend.
Did you know that certain crafts require certain qualifications, certificates and rules to stick to? I learned this the hard way. In my experience it’s glittering alcohol bottles and glasses. With the glasses you must leave a glitter free rim for the customer to drink from(their lips are not allowed to touch the glass) this of course is up to them but you must state if glittering the whole glass it’s for decorative use only. Now this is the hard part..
You NEED a personal licence and a premises licence to legally sell alcohol, even like me from my little kitchen. In January I passed the course to apply for my personal licence, I applied for my DBS and paid the fee to council for my licence. YAY I thought i’m almost ready to sell alcohol. That was until my licensing officer informed me I needed a premises licence too. The fee for this would be around £1000 and an annual fee every year. So now my plans have been put on hold until I can afford it. To say I am gutted is an understatement, but now you know you wont make the same mistake as me.
There are lots of other types of crafts which you are able to start doing but please do your research. Make sure you know exactly what you need and what is required.
Good luck
xxx
TheLittleGlitterBox 
I am so proud of my daughter and what she has achieved . Being a full time mum of 3 and still making her craft business work . I have received many beautiful gifts from her on special occasions the main ones being my 3 grandchildren and the crafted gifts that I have are as special to me as the 3 of them . The support you receive from your followers on Facebook is amazing but I must also add is well deserved . Continue your hard work Charlotte you are doing a fantastic job x x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah thank you mum xxx
LikeLike
It was very thoughtful of you to share this post. Helping out others who may have thought the same as you, now they know the legal/business side of crafting and selling things you enjoy making as a hobby.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a tough start for me but i’m a lot wiser. I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to endure the stress of it as it makes you feel like giving up. I have seen so many gorgeous handmade items, could you imagine if they had given up!! xxxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an amazing achievement, well done you!
It’s great that you are sharing all this knowledge too, as i’m sure many people don’t know this!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Sarah. I would hate if someone out all the effort in and realised they had made a crucial error, it could lead to them giving up! I see so many gorgeous handmade items and would hate to see they had potentially given up over something that could of been avoided. xxxx
LikeLike
Oooo v helpful advice for people setting up any business really. Good luck with your venture. #thelist
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thx you for sharing and thx you liking my page as well.. I will return the favor and i cant wait to read more of your blogs….
LikeLike
Our welcome and thank you xx
LikeLike